Lock means for gasoline tank caps



`umxe l5, 1937. E. oLsEN 2,084,04@

LOCK MEANS FOR GASOLINE TANK CAPS Filed Fei. 24, 193e I N VEN TOR.

Patented June UNITED STATESv PATENT OFFICE I Loox MEANs Foiztyostma TANk'cArs l Elling Olsen, Seattle, Wash. Application February 24, 1936, Serial N0. 5,3l1.

3 Claims.

My invention relates to lock means for the caps of gasoline tanks of motorl vehicles and a primary object of my invention is to provide means for preventing theft of gasoline from the gasoline tanks of mo tor vehicles by rendering it' impossible forA unauthorized persons to remove the caps which control access to said gasoline tanks.

Another object is t o provide gasoline tank cap locking means controlled from the interior of a fully enclosed body or cab of a motor vehicle for selectively locking or releasing the cap on the gasoline tank of said motor vehicle, the control means of said cap locking means being inaccessible when the doors of the vehicle body are closed and locked, except to persons having the proper keys for unlocking said doors.

A further object of this invention is to provide gasoline tank cap locking means of this type having independent lock mechanism connected very little alteration hicle parts,

of the standard motor ve- It is relatively easy to withdraw gasoline from the gasoline tank of a motor vehicle by removing the cap from said tank, inserting a rubber tube into the tank and siphoning off the gasoline. Gasoline is frequently stolen in this way from the tank of parked motor vehicles. It is an object of this invention toy provide means by which the driver or owner of a motor vehicle maylock the gasoline tank cap against removal and as quickly unlock the same without leaving his seat in the vehicle.

Other and more specific objects of this invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing Fi grammatic View on a gure 1 is a somewhat diasmall scale of gasoline tank latch means constructed in accordance with my invention showing the same installed on a motor vehicle.

Fig. 3 is a plan v the chap removed.

(ci. 22o-55) Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the 1111er tube with the cap removed and parts shown in elevation.

Fig. 5 is a detached'inverted plan view showing the inner side of the cap.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of the operating means connected with the instrument board. A

Fig. 7 is a detached inverted plan view of a modied form of gasoline tank cap.

Fig 8 is a sectional view substantially on broken line 8 8 of Fig. '7.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view, with parts in elevation, of the operating means on the instrument board which is used in connection with the lock -shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

Fig. 10 -is a fragmentary sectional view with parts in elevation showing an independent primary lock mechanism installed in connection with my gasoline tank cap locking means.

Fig. l1\is a view similar to 10, showing a diierent adaptation of the primary lock mechanism.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a modified form of gasoline tank cap adapted to be opened and by the driver without .requiring thel driver to get out of the vehicle.

Like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 6 of the drawing, I0 designates a motor vehicle having a body of the closed type provided with doors which may be locked in a closed position, in the usual manner to prevent persons without keys from obtaining access to the interior of said body. II designates a gasoline tank at the rear of said motor vehicle and I2 designates a cap provided on a ller tube I3 which is connected with the gasoline tank I I. The upper end of the ller tube I3 is provided With two oppositely positioned inwardly extending flanges I4, Figs. 3 and 4, each preferably extending less than one half of the distance around the tube I3 leaving spaces I5 between the adjacent ends thereof, The under side of each ange I4 preferably has an inclined portion I6 adjacenty one end and has a flattened portion I1 connecting with the inclined portion I6 and has a 'stop member I8 adjacent the other end. The cap I2 is internally provided with axedly secured bar member 20 spaced from the top of the cap and, having end portions 2| terminating slightly short of the peripheral wall of the cap. The end portions 2| of the bar member 20 pass downwardlyV through the spaces between the ends of the flanges Il when the cap is applied to the mouth n shoulders I 8. Preferably the bar 28 is sufiiciently resilient to hold the cap snugly in contact with the end of the tube I3 when the end portions 2I of said bar 28 rest on the flattened sections I1 of the anges I4. The bar member 28 is tlxedly secured to the cap in any desired manner, as for instance by a spacer member 22, Fig.. 2, which maybe welded to the bar member 28 and to the top of the cap I2.

All of the parts above described conform generally to the construction of like parts now in common use.

'I'his invention resides in the provision of latch means for locking the cap .I2 onto'the top of the tube I3 and in the provision of devices for operating and controlling this latch means.

In accordance with this invention I 'provide two latch receiving recesses or openings 23 in the respective end portions 2I of the bar member 20. A latch bolt 24 is slidable in a suitable guide member 25 in the' filler tube I3 and is positioned so that it will be in alignment with one of the latch receiving recesses 23 when the cap I2 is placed on the filler tube I3 andturned so as to position the end portions 2I of the bar member 2l) against the top shoulders I8. The ller tube I3 is usually of elbow shape, as shown, and a tubular metal conduit 26 as a pipe or flexible metal tube is connected with the curved wall of the ller tube I3:l in alignment with the latch bolt 24. A latch ,bolt operating wire 21 disposed within the conduit 26 is connected with the latch bolt 24. The conduit 26 and wire 21 extend in any suitable manner,

, filler tube I3 through a part of the motor vehicle or motor vehicle body which protects and hides said conduit and makes it diilicult-of access and the conduit 26 is preferably connected with -a protected and unexposed portion of the filler tube making it difiicult to get at the wire 21 for the purpose of tampering with the same. 'I'he latch bolt 24 is Within the ller tube I3 and is not accessible.- The knob 38 is positioned within the closed portion of the motor vehicle v body and can not be reached when the doors of the motor vehicle body are closed and locked.

The operation of the device shown in Figs. 1 to 6 is as follows: When the cap I2 is on the tube I3 and the latch bolt 24 is in one of the recesses 23-said cap I2 is locked against angular movement and can not be removed. When the cap I2 is thus locked the knob 38 will be positioned close to the instrument board 28. To permit removal of the cap I2 for the purpose of taking gasoline, the driver grasps the knob 38 VAand pulls the` rod 29 outwardly. 'I'his longitudinally moves the wire 21 to retract the bolt 24 and release the ca p I2. After the cap I2 has been properly replaced on the filler tube I3 the driver pushes the knob 33 inwardly thus pro- .Iecting the bolt v24 into one of the A :w: 23 and again locking the cap.

In Figs '1. s snes, I have shown s mp ima means for locking a cap onto a filler tube. This means is similar to the mechanism shown in Figs. l to 6, except that a cap I2 is provided with a modiedform of bar member 32 having two recesses 33'for receiving the latch bolt 24 and having inclined surfaces 34 approaching said recesses 33 whereby when the latch bolt is in its locking position and the cap I2 is not on the ller tube I 3, said cap may be applied to the ller tube and turned into latched position. As the cap I2' is turned toward the latchedvposition, in applying the cap, one of the inclined surfaces 34 will engage with the end vof the latch bolt 24 and press the latch bolt downwardly until the latch bolt registers with one of the recesses 33 and snaps into said recess. Ihe means for snapping the latch bolt '24.into the recess 33 preferably is in the nature of a compression spring 35 interposed between the instrument board 28 and a collar 36 o n an operatingrod 3] which is connected with the latch bolt operating wire 21. Preferably means are provided for holding the operating rod 31 retracted. 'Ihis may be in the form of a notch 38 in the operating rod adapted to engage with the instrument board 28'. The operation of this snap latch device isy said bolt will snap into locked position as soon as the operating rod 31 is released.

y In both types of the invention herelnbefore described the cap of the gasoline tank is `securely locked against removal by latch means which is controlled from within the body of the motor vehicle and in both instances the control means is inaccessible when the doors of the motor vehicle body are closed and locked.

If it is desired` to adapt this cap locking mechanism to vehicles of the open body type or to any vehicles where the usual vehicle locking means will not preclude access to the control means for retracting the bolt 24, namely, the knob and rod which are connected with the Abolt retracting wire 21, then the control means for retracting the bolt; may be locked by an independent lock connected therewith. Figs. 10 and 1l disclose two different locking means of this nature.

In' Fig. 10, I show a bolt operating rod 43 having a notch 4I therein for the reception of a bolt 42 which is connected with a primary lock mechanism 43. A spring 44 normally urges the bolt 42 into locked position and will always tend to snap the bolt 42 into the notch 4I unless said bolt 42 is held retracted by the lock 43. With this type of lock it is necessary to use the proper key in primary lock mechanism 43 and retract the bolt 42 before the operating rod448 can be moved to unlock the gasoline tank cap.

In Fig.- 11, I show a longitudinally movable receptacle 43 constituting a knob member and having an operating rod 48 secured thereto. A

. primary lock mechanism 41 is provided in the receptacle 46. A bolt 48 operated by the use of a key in the primary lock 41 is adapted to lock into or be withdrawn from a recess 48 in a fixed 1housing 68 to selectively lock the receptacle 4I and operating rod 43 against longitudinal movement or to permit movement of the same.

.It will be noted that the bolt 42 of Fig. 10 is a snap latch type while the bolt u of Fig. 11v is a dead bolt type. l

In Fig. 12 I show by a somewhat diagrammatic view, a gasoline tank cap and operating means for the same which is movable into an open position by means operated by the driver while in the drivers seat and which is movable into a closed position, when released, by a spring. In Fig. 12 numeral 55 designates a filler tube. I is a cap for said tube. 52 is a pivotal mounting for the cap. 53 is a lever connected with the cap and 5l is a push and pull wire or rod connected with the lever 53 and extending through a conduit 56 to. a location forward of the motorvehicle where it may be connected with control mechanism positioned for convenient operation from the drivers seat. v Preferably the wire 54 extends into a housing 51 on the instrument board and is connected by pivot means 59 with an operating rod 58." The operating rod 58 is locked in the position shown in Fig. 12 by a spring pressed catch member 60 positioned to engage `within notches GI in said rod. The catch member 6I! is released by the A operator preparatory to .retracting the operating rod 58 for the purpose of opening the cap 5I. When thev operating rod 58 is returned to the positionA shown in Fig. 12 the catch member $0 snaps into locked position. Preferably a spring is provided for moving the cap 5l tc open position. This spring may be connected with the lever 53, as spring 6L It desired a key operated lock may be provided for locking the operating rod 58 in the same manner as the operating rod shown in Fig. is locked.

Several forms of the invention are presented herein by way of exempllilcation, and it' will be understood that the invention is susceptible of embodiments in other structurally modiiied forms coming equally within the scope 'of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with the gasoline tank of a motor vehicle, which gasoline tank has an elbow shaped ller tube provided with a cap, o! a horizontal bar member provided within said cap adapted to engage said filler tube, said bar member havingbolt receiving recesses; a vertically movable bolt positioned within said ller tube adapted to lock intoV said recesses o! said bar member; guide means for said bolt'positioned against the outer curved wall of said elbow shaped illler tube; an operating wireV connected with said bolt vand extending downwardly through the vouter curved -side of said elbow shaped iiller tube and to a position accessible to a person occupying the driver's seat of the vehicle; a conduit connected with said ller tube and shielding and guiding said operating wire; and a control member connected with the' forward end of .said operating wire.

2. In gasoline tank cap locking means, an elbow shaped gasoline tank nller tube; an upright bolt guide positioned within said ller tube and against the outer elbow shaped curved wall thereof; a bolt reciprocable in said bolt guide; a

guide tube extending upwardly into the side of said ller -tube and connected with said bolt guide; a flexible bolt operating wire in said guide tube extending into saidbolt guide and connected with said bolt; manually operated con- 'trol means connected withL said bolt operating wire remote from said illler tube; and a tube cap having means positioned :lor locking engagement by said bolt when said cap is applied to said iiller tube.

3. In gasoline tank cap locking means, a gasoline tank ller tube; a bolt guide positioned within said ller tube; a bolt vertically movable in said bolt guide and projecting above said bolt guide when in locking position; a yflexible bolt operating Wire extending into said filler tube and connected with said bolt guide; manually operated control means connected with said bolt operating wire; spring means urging said bolt into upwardly projected locking position; a cap member for said filler tube; a locking bar secured to the inner side of said cap member, said locking bar having recesses for the reception of said bolt; cap retaining means on the ller tube positioned for engagement by the locking bar in response to angular movementv of the cap member on the llertube; and inclined bolt engaging means operatively connected with said locking bar positioned to engage with and depress said bolt in response to angular movement in'l one direction of said cap member on said iiller tube, whereby said bolt member may be positioned for entrance into a recess in said locking' bar.

. ELLING CISEN. 

